Board approves personnel actions, field trips and contracts; retirees noted

The New Albany-Plain Local Board of Education approved superintendent items Jan. 6 that included personnel actions, field trips, and contract renewals.

Superintendent Sawyers told the board the personnel items included resignations and retirements and routine employee actions for second semester staffing. He identified two retirements on the agenda: Susie Cooper, a half-time English teacher and half-time gifted education coordinator, and Linda Lichtman, a music teacher at an intermediate school. "So both of them have provided us written notice of their intent to retire," Sawyers said.

Under general business the board approved athletic and nonathletic field trips, including an EF tour to Costa Rica in 2026 open to grades 7–12 being coordinated by a middle-school staff member, and an eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C., scheduled for Nov. 4–7, 2025. Sawyers also presented a two-year consulting and broker services agreement with Grady Enterprises that retains the same terms and rates as the prior contract and a renewal of the Hastings Water Works lifeguard-management contract; Sawyers said the only change to Hastings' agreement was a fee increase to reflect inflation. "They go through the same background checks and everything, that our employees in the school district do," Sawyers said about Hastings staff who routinely interact with students.

Board members moved and seconded approval of superintendent items A and B; Jenkins called a roll and the motion carried on a unanimous vote. The meeting had no public participants during the public-participation portion. The board adjourned after completing the evening's business and set its next regular meeting for Jan. 27 at 5:30 p.m.